Norwegian volunteer physician Dr. Mads Gilbert has been banned by Israel from ever returning to the Gaza Strip. Dr. Gilbert, who most recently spent time working in Gaza during Israel's devastating assault, this past summer, which left nearly 2,200 dead and some 11,000 injured, says that he was denied entry in October, when he tried to re-enter the Strip through Erez crossing.

The Israeli foreign ministry has confirmed the ban, according to Ma'an, calling Dr. Gilbert a "Jekyll and Hyde" figure, apparently for his political activism on behalf of the Palestinian cause.

Gilbert has been a vocal critic of Israeli policy against Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

German foreign office spokesman Martin Schafer said that his government supports a just and neutral investigation into violations in the latest Israeli war on Gaza.

The spokesman expressed regret at the Israeli decision to block the entry of an investigative committee formed by the UN human right council into Gaza Strip to conduct investigations in this regard.

Schafer said in a statement on Friday that he did not know if such a position would have an impact on the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to Israel scheduled to start on Saturday.

The spokesman pointed out that Steinmeier would visit the Middle East on Saturday and Sunday to have a first-hand report over the escalation of confrontations in Eastern Jerusalem between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians while no progress was made in the peace process.

Schafer said that Steinmeier would then visit Brussels to attend a meeting for the European Union’s foreign ministers scheduled on Monday.

Human rights organizations are following up with utmost concern the developments related to the work of the International Independent Commission of Inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the latest offensive launched by Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip.

The organizations condemn the ban imposed by Israel, the occupying power, on the Mission's access to the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), especially the Gaza Strip – the scene of the crime.

They call upon the international community to take necessary action to exert pressure on Israel to prevent it from obstructing the Mission's work and to compel it to allow Mission's access to the oPt without any further delay.

Palestinian human rights organizations had welcomed the Resolution issued by the UN Human Rights Council on 23 July 2014, which called for dispatching "an international commission of inquiry… to investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the oPt, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014…"

[1] The organizations have expressed their willingness and readiness to cooperate with the Commission and provide it with all information they have concerning the investigations they have conducted into war crimes committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians and their property and any other crimes that fall under the Commission's mandate.

The organizations are aware of the unwearied and persistent efforts being made by the Commission to reach the oPt, especially the Gaza Strip, to assume its mandate in the major scene of the crime, but Israel has banned access of the Commission to the oPt.

The Commission is currently holding a series of meetings in Amman, the capital of Jordan, with civil society organizations, UN agencies, victims and eyewitnesses in the period 10-14 November 2014, pending its access to the Gaza Strip.

Under the current situation, human rights organizations, victims and eyewitnesses in the Gaza Strip will not be able to participate in these meetings.

The signatories of this statement welcome the Commission and support its work and efforts, and:

1. Express reservations for the unjustified delay in the formation of the Commission, as the resolution to establish it was issued on 23 July, 16 weeks ago and 11, and 11 weeks have passed since the end of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip; this delay constitutes a major technical and professional mistake, especially in regards to the scene of the crime, evidence, weapons and victims.

2. Stress that it is not possible to conduct an objective, professional and independent investigation without the actual presence of the Commission in the main scene of the crime – the Gaza Strip – and without first-hand view of the crimes committed against Palestinian civilians and civilian objects.

3. Strongly condemn the ban imposed by Israel, the occupying power, on the Commission's access to the oPt, especially the occupied Gaza Strip.

4. Call upon the international community, especially the United Nations and Human Rights Council, to denlunce Israel's blatant interference and prevention of the Commission's access to the oPt, and hence obstructing its work.

5. Believe that inviting human rights organizations, victims and eyewitnesses in the Gaza Strip to travel to Amman to meet with the Commission is impractical and impossible because of the blockade imposed by Israeli forces on the Gaza Strip.

6. Reiterate their willingness and readiness to provide all the information and results of investigations they have when the Commission is allowed into the Gaza Strip.

7. Stress that failing to promptly contain these problems and the continuous denial of the Commission's access to the Gaza Strip will raise doubts concerning its work and undermine its credibility and that of the UN mechanisms.

8. Believe that the absence from the scene of the crime is a disappointment for victims in the Gaza Strip as it sends them a clear message that there is no accountability and the crimes committed against them will go unpunished.

9. Are fully confident that the Commission will make all possible efforts to overcome the difficulties it is facing because of being prevented by Israel from entering the oPt and the complications of the so-called "UN security procedures" in finding alternatives.

10. Believe that failing to allow the Commission to assume its duties will raise questions as regarding the feasibility and efficiency of the UN human rights mechanisms.

11. Call upon the UN Secretary-General and President of the Human Rights Council to declare Israel as the party that is obstructing the Commission's work, and suggest practical steps to compel Israel to facilitate the Commission's Work.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has announced the formation of an internal panel to investigate specified incidents which happened in the Gaza Strip between July 8th and August 26th , headed by the Dutchman Patrick Kammart.

According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Gency, the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine in the United Nations explained that this panel will investigate the attacks on more than 100 United Nations facilities and, specifically, the UN schools which were most affected.

Also to be investigated is the death of 11 UN staff members during last summer's offensive.

The Palestinian mission welcomed the decision, expressing its hope that the panel works to serve as the beginning of accountability for all acts and violations committed against Palestinians in Gaza during which over 2,000 people were killed (mostly civilians), including 516 children and 283 women, and some 11,000 injured.

The mission called on panel members to perform their work with high accuracy and transparency, stressing on the full cooperation and commitment from the Palestinian side to facilitate their work.

They also expressed hope that the investigation results must be published as soon as possible, to take the course of justice and accountability and compensate the UN for all damages caused by the Israeli military attacks

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday appointed a five-member panel to investigate Israeli attacks on UN shelters during the Gaza war and the discovery of weapons at UN sites.Ban announced plans to set up a probe during his visit to Gaza last month after describing Israeli shelling of UN-run schools as a "moral outrage."

At least five UN facilities were hit during the conflict, killing scores of Palestinians including children, according to the UN refugee agency UNRWA.

The inquiry led by retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert will "review and investigate a number of specific incidents in which death or injuries occurred at, and/or damage was done to United Nations premises," UN spokesman Farhan Haq said.

It will focus on incidents from July 8 to Aug. 26, he added.

A former military adviser to Ban, Cammaert also served as UN force commander in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and for the mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Other panel members are legal expert Maria Vicien-Milburn of Argentina, who is general counsel for the UN culture agency UNESCO, American Lee O'Brien, who has worked on Middle East affairs at the UN department of political affairs, Canadian Pierre Lemelin and K.C. Reddy of India.

The UN spokesman emphasized that Ban "expects that the board will enjoy the full cooperation of all parties concerned."

Ban toured the site of damaged UN shelters during his visit last month and declared that the destruction from the war was "beyond description."

UN officials have said that rockets were found in vacant shelters and condemned those responsible.

The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva separately has set up a commission of inquiry into the Gaza offensive, led by Canadian lawyer William Schabas.

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have “killed scores of Palestinian civilians in attacks targeting houses full of families which in some cases have amounted to war crimes”, Amnesty International has disclosed in a new report on the latest Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The AI report detailed eight cases where residential family homes in Gaza were attacked by the IOA without warning during Operation Protective Edge in July and August 2014, causing the deaths of at least 104 civilians including 62 children.

“Israeli forces have brazenly flouted the laws of war by carrying out a series of attacks on civilian homes, displaying callous indifference to the carnage caused,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International.

“The report exposes a pattern of attacks on civilian homes by Israeli forces which have shown a shocking disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, who were given no warning and had no chance to flee.”

The report contains numerous accounts from survivors who describe the horror of frantically digging through the rubble and dust of their destroyed homes in search of the bodies of children and loved ones.

“The repeated, disproportionate attacks on homes indicate that Israel’s current military tactics are deeply flawed and fundamentally at odds with the principles of international humanitarian law,” said Philip Luther.

In the single deadliest attack documented in the report, 36 members of four families including 18 children were killed when the three-storey al-Dali building, was struck.

The second deadliest attack appears to have targeted a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, who was outside the Abu Jame’ family home. The house was completely leveled killing 25 civilians including 19 children.

Israeli officials have failed to give any justification for carrying out these attacks. In some of the cases in this report Amnesty International has not been able to identify any possible military target. In those cases it appears that the attacks directly and deliberately targeted civilians or civilian objects, which would constitute war crimes.

In all of the cases researched by Amnesty International no prior warning was given to residents of the homes which were attacked. If it had been given, excessive loss of civilian lives could clearly have been avoided.

“It is tragic to think that these civilian deaths could have been prevented. The onus is on Israeli officials to explain why they chose to deliberately flatten entire homes full of civilians, when they had a clear legal obligation to minimize harm to civilians and the means of doing so,” said Philip Luther.

The report highlights the catastrophic consequences of Israel’s attacks on homes, which have shattered the lives of entire families. Some of the homes attacked were overflowing with relatives who had fled other areas of Gaza in search of safety.

Survivors of an attack on the al-Hallaq family home described horrifying scenes of strewn body parts amid the dust and chaos after three missiles struck the house.

Khalil Abed Hassan Ammar, a doctor with the Palestinian Medical Council and a resident in the building said: “It was terrifying we couldn’t save anyone…. All of the kids were burnt, I couldn’t tell which were mine and which were the neighbors’…We carried whoever we were able to the ambulance… I only recognized Ibrahim my eldest child, when I saw the shoes he was wearing…I had bought them for him two days before.”

Ayman Haniyeh, one of the neighbors, described the trauma of trying to search for survivors:

“All I can remember are the bits and pieces I saw of bodies, teeth, head, arms, insides, everything scattered and spread,” he said. One survivor of the same attack described hugging a bag full of the “shreds” of her son’s body.

Israel has so far failed to even acknowledge any of the attacks detailed in the report and has not responded to Amnesty International’s requests for explanations of why each of these attacks took place.

At least 18,000 homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable during the conflict. More than 1,500 Palestinian civilians including 519 children were killed in Israeli attacks carried out during the latest Gaza conflict.

“What is crucial now is that there is accountability for any violations of international humanitarian law that have been committed. The Israeli authorities must provide answers. The international community must take urgent steps to end the perpetual cycle of serious violations and complete impunity,” said Philip Luther.

Israel has continued to deny access to Gaza for international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and the organization has been forced to conduct its research for this report remotely, supported by two fieldworkers based in Gaza. Israel has also announced that it will not co-operate with the Commission of Inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council.

“Failing to allow independent human rights monitors into Gaza smacks of a deliberately orchestrated attempt to cover up violations or hide from international scrutiny. Israel must cooperate fully with the UN Commission of Inquiry and grant international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International immediate access to Gaza to prove its commitment to human rights,” said Philip Luther.

A Palestinian child sits above ruins of his home, and looks at thousands of destroyed homes in Gaza

Israeli forces have killed scores of Palestinian civilians in attacks targeting houses full of families which in some cases have amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International has disclosed in a new report on the latest Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip.Families under the Rubble: Israeli attacks on inhabited homes details eight cases where residential family homes in Gaza were attacked by Israeli forces without warning during Operation Protective Edge in July and August 2014, causing the deaths of at least 104 civilians including 62 children. The report reveals a pattern of frequent Israeli attacks using large aerial bombs to level civilian homes, sometimes killing entire families.“Israeli forces have brazenly flouted the laws of war by carrying out a series of attacks on civilian homes, displaying callous indifference to the carnage caused,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. “The report exposes a pattern of attacks on civilian homes by Israeli forces which have shown a shocking disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, who were given no warning and had no chance to flee.” The report contains numerous accounts from survivors who describe the horror of frantically digging through the rubble and dust of their destroyed homes in search of the bodies of children and loved ones. In several of the cases documented in the report, possible military targets were identified by Amnesty International. However the devastation to civilian lives and property caused in all cases was clearly disproportionate to the military advantages gained by launching the attacks. “Even if a fighter had been present in one of these residential homes, it would not absolve Israel of its obligation to take every feasible precaution to protect the lives of civilians caught up in the fighting. The repeated, disproportionate attacks on homes indicate that Israel’s current military tactics are deeply flawed and fundamentally at odds with the principles of international humanitarian law,” said Philip Luther. In the single deadliest attack documented in the report, 36 members of four families including 18 children were killed when the three-storey al-Dali building, was struck. Israel has not announced why the building was targeted, but Amnesty International has identified possible military targets within the building. The second deadliest attack appears to have targeted a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, who was outside the Abu Jame’ family home. The house was completely levelled killing 25 civilians including 19 children. Regardless of the intended targets, both of these attacks constitute grossly disproportionate attacks and under international law, they should have been cancelled or postponed as soon as it was evident that so many civilians were present in the house.Israeli officials have failed to give any justification for carrying out these attacks. In some of the cases in this report Amnesty International has not been able to identify any possible military target. In those cases it appears that the attacks directly and deliberately targeted civilians or civilian objects, which would constitute war crimes. In all of the cases researched by Amnesty International no prior warning was given to residents of the homes which were attacked. If it had been given, excessive loss of civilian lives could clearly have been avoided. “It is tragic to think that these civilian deaths could have been prevented. The onus is on Israeli officials to explain why they chose to deliberately flatten entire homes full of civilians, when they had a clear legal obligation to minimize harm to civilians and the means of doing so,” said Philip Luther. The report highlights the catastrophic consequences of Israel’s attacks on homes, which have shattered the lives of entire families. Some of the homes attacked were overflowing with relatives who had fled other areas of Gaza in search of safety.Download [PDF]

Growing international support for Palestinian cause
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami
Hamdallah, on Sunday, urged the international community and, in
particular, the European Union (EU), to speed-up the implementation of
the reconstruction plan for Gaza. Members of various international
communities are increasingly, now, stepping up to pledge support for the
Palestinian cause.

During
a meeting with EU representative to the Palestinian Authority, John
Gatt-Rutter, in Ramallah, Mr. Hamdallah urged the international
community to fulfill their obligations pledged at the International Aid
Conference for Gaza Reconstruction, in order to enable Gazans to get by
the harsh circumstances inflicted upon them, especially as winter
approaches.

According to WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency, Hamdallah called
on EU countries to take decisive steps to insure the protection of
al-Aqsa mosque; to end the Israeli violations against the mosque and
Palestinians in Jerusalem, as well as to stop settler violations against
Muslim and Christian holy sites.

The Arab League Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, with
regard to the ongoing tensions in Jerusalem, at Kuwait's request.

Meanwhile, a European conference calling for boycotting Israeli products
was held in Paris, on Saturday. The conference was organized by Euro
Palestine and the Union of Palestinian organizations and communities in
the city.

Al Ray reports that the head of the European Campaign to End the Siege
on Gaza, Mazen Kehail, said that the conference had witnessed a
remarkable attendance from most of the European countries, in a clear
reference to the growing solidarity movement with the Palestinian people
and their cause.

Kehail pointed out that the conference, which was held for the second
time in six months, carried a message of advocay and continuing support
for the Palestinian people in different ways, including boycotting the
Israeli products "which dipped in the Palestinian blood ".

The conference mainly took on a cultural and folkloric character, as
Palestinian Arab Idol Mohammed Assaf performed a number of national
songs.

A number of representatives of the international movement of boycotting Israel
were said to have attended the conference, in addition to the personal
assistant of the South African president, Nelson Mandela, and several
European musical bands performing for Palestine.

The head of the European Campaign assured continuing European solidarity
actions with the Palestinian people, as long as Gaza siege continued,
in addition to the separation policy between Gaza and West Bank, the
continued building of the apartheid wall and concurrent storming of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque.

Swedish Consul General in Jerusalem Ann-Sofie Nilsson said that her
country will raise provisional aid to $200 million, over the next 5
coming years, according to a new plan.

She added that "this aid will contribute to the building of a
Palestinian state, and we will focus on three areas, democracy, human
rights, and the ability to adapt to environmental and climatic changes
and the development of the private sector”.

Nelson reviewed the Swedish contribution to the development of Area C,
occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, while stressing the
importance of her country's recognition of Palestinian state:

"The decision was taken by the government after consultations between
the country and international partners during the past few weeks," she
said.

For Latin American solidarity efforts, Venezuela will send 10 tons of
humanitarian aid and medical equipment for the war-torn Gaza Strip, the
Palestinian embassy in Caracas stated.

A plane will carry the aid from Caracas to the Amman airport on Sunday,
and the same plane will bring 100 Palestinian students who have been
granted scholarships to study in Venezuela to the country, an official
statement said.

Last week, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro said his country would
grant 1,000 Palestinians scholarships for Venezuelan universities.

Linda Subih, the ambassador of Palestine to Venezuela, said that she and
31 young Venezuelan men and women would accompany the aid to Amman,
after which it would be sent to the Gaza Strip.